Here is a list f IoT predictions for year 2018. With the number of connected devices set to top 11 billion – and that’s not including computers and phones – in 2018, Internet of Things will clearly continue to be a hot topic. Here is my prediction list:
1. Artifical Intelligence – it will be talked a lot
2. Blockchain – blockchain will be hyped to be a solution for many IoT problems, and it will turn out that it is not the best solution for most of problems it is hyped for – and maybe it will find few sensible uses for it in IoT. Blockchain can add immutability and integrity to some IoT transactions.
3. 4G mobile for IoT: NB-IoT and LTE-M are ready to be tested or used in many markets
4. 5G will be hyped a lot for IoT applications but it is nowhere near for any real big IoT use cases
6. Security issues will be talked a lot. IoT security is far from solved issue.
7. Privacy issues of IoT will be talked a lot when our homes and pockets are starting to be filled with ever listening digital assistants.
8. Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) will be massive
9. More CPU power will be added or used in the edge. Pushing processing power to the “edge” brings a number of benefits and opportunities.
10. Hardware based security: Hardware based security on microprocessors will be talked a lot after “Meltdown” and “Spectre” disaster
Links to more predictions:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2017/12/19/the-top-8-iot-trends-for-2018/#17a9943267f7
https://www.ibm.com/blogs/internet-of-things/top-5-iot-trends-in-2018/
https://www.inc.com/james-paine/3-internet-of-things-trends-to-watch-in-2018.html
https://www.i-scoop.eu/iot-2018-1/
https://dzone.com/articles/iot-trends-for-2018
1,393 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Power Management Chapter 21: Thermoelectric generators
https://www.powerelectronics.com/power-management/power-management-chapter-21-thermoelectric-generators?NL=ED-003&Issue=ED-003_20180919_ED-003_170&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=20051&utm_medium=email&elq2=387369d3d1a44113810a68169389e586
A thermoelectric generator, TEG, is a solid-state device that converts heat directly into electrical energy through a phenomenon called the Seebeck effect. Thermoelectric generators consist of three major components: thermoelectric materials, thermoelectric modules, and thermoelectric systems that interface with the heat source.
The typical efficiency of TEGs is around 5% to 8%. Older devices used bimetallic junctions and were bulky. More recent devices use highly doped semiconductors made from bismuth telluride(Bi2Te3), lead telluride (PbTe), calcium manganese oxide (Ca2Mn3O8), or combinations thereof, depending on temperature. Maximizing the efficiency (or, conversely, the total power output) of requires trade-offs between total heat flow through the thermoelectric modules and maximizing the temperature gradient across them. The design of heat-exchanger technologies to accomplish this is one of the most important aspects of engineering of a thermoelectric generator.
Thermoelectric generators can be applied in a variety of applications. Frequently, thermoelectric generators are used for low-power remote applications or where bulkier but more efficient heat engines such as Stirling engines would not be possible. Unlike heat engines, the solid-state electrical components typically used to perform thermal to electric energy conversion have no moving parts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Part Day: Put An Alexa In Everything
https://hackaday.com/2018/09/20/new-part-day-put-an-alexa-in-everything/
The last great hope for electronics manufactures is smart home assistants. The Alexas and Siris and OK Googles are taking over homes across the country. At its best, it’s HAL 9000, only slightly less homicidal. It will entertain your children, and you can order cat litter just by saying you want cat litter. This is the future, whether we like it or not.
In an attempt to capture the market, Amazon has released the Alexa Connect Kit. This is an Amazon-Echo-On-a-Chip — a piece of hardware that adds Alexa to microwaves, blenders, and whatever other bit of home electronics you can imagine.
The Alexa Connect Kit is the hardware behind Amazon’s efforts to allow developers easy integration with Alexa. The options for adding Alexa to a product up until now have been using Zigbee to connect an Echo Show or Echo Plus, or simply giving a device the ability to connect to an Echo through Bluetooth. The Alexa Connect Kit, however, is a pure hardware solution that puts Alexa in anything.
Build Smart Devices with the Alexa Connect Kit (ACK)
https://developer.amazon.com/alexa/connected-devices/alexa-connect-kit
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Sensors Reveal New Ways for Manufacturers to Cut Energy Usage
https://spectrum.ieee.org/telecom/internet/iot-sensors-reveal-new-ways-for-manufacturers-to-cut-energy-usage
The next big effort to reduce carbon emissions and hold the line on climate change will be enabled by the Internet of Things. Companies can rethink their costs of operations, taking into account the energy used, with a combination of more granular data from cheap sensors and faster, more in-depth analytics from cheap computing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/20/amazons-alexa-can-now-act-on-hunches-about-your-behavior/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
Tomi Engdahl says:
Introducing Alexa Gadgets Toolkit: Create Fun and Delightful Echo-Connected Accessories
https://developer.amazon.com/blogs/alexa/post/54e7b354-837d-4dc1-a33c-b6cf9e09a7a5/introducing-alexa-gadgets-toolkit-create-echo-connected-accessories-that-deliver-customer-delight
We’re excited to announce the availability of the Alexa Gadgets Toolkit (Beta), allowing you to build your very own Alexa Gadgets — fun and delightful accessories that pair to compatible Echo devices via Bluetooth. Alexa Gadgets extend Alexa’s capabilities to new modalities with motors, lights, sound chips, and more.
https://developer.amazon.com/alexa/alexa-gadgets
Tomi Engdahl says:
Week in Review: IoT, Security, Auto
Security anxiety; digital health; goodbye, Airware.
https://semiengineering.com/week-in-review-iot-security-auto-11/
Release 3 is published by oneM2M, the worldwide Internet of Things interoperability standards initiative. The third set of specifications deals with 3GPP interworking, especially as it relates to cellular IoT connectivity, among other features. The release is said to enable seamless interworking with narrowband IoT and LTE-M connectivity through the 3GPP Service Capability Exposure Function.
FogHorn Systems says its Lightning Edge Industrial IoT platform received Industrial Software Competency status from Amazon Web Services
The Senate will reportedly soon consider legislation elevating the National Protection and Programs Directorate within the Department of Homeland Security, renaming it as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The House of Representatives last year passed a bill authorizing the elevation to agency status.
http://www.onem2m.org/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Could Interference be a Smart Home Wrecker?
https://www.electronicdesign.com/industrial-automation/could-interference-be-smart-home-wrecker?NL=ED-003&Issue=ED-003_20180921_ED-003_909&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=20082&utm_medium=email&elq2=428107b6c3584b419cb93cac1a46c530
Self-interference cancellation technology could very well be the solution to the EMI problem plaguing the 2.4-GHz band.
Interference caused by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and other occupants of the unlicensed 2.4-GHz band is worsening as more wireless users enter the fray. Yet there are ways to mitigate such interference. Here’s one way.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Self-organizing versus managed industrial wireless networks
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/self-organizing-versus-managed-industrial-wireless-networks/fef100ca3d9a88c0f12adeeadded3cde.html?OCVALIDATE=
ISA 100.11a and WirelessHART standards reflect contrasting attitudes toward network management and these standards impact operational effectiveness.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Digital advantages for design, automation
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/digital-advantages-for-design-automation/e33618e28591327d0e482ed115a6ba8e.html?OCVALIDATE=
Digitalization benefits include speed to market, flexibility, efficiency, consistent quality, cybersecurity, and lower lifecycle costs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fragmentation, Security Remain Concerns for IoT
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1333751
Research for the recent industrial internet of things (IIoT) security Special Report revealed a fundamental lack of awareness among the wider ecosystem about the importance of and need for implementing security in connected devices. Now a new survey confirms that the big issues in IoT continue to be related to fragmentation and security.
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1333710
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8472-painotekniikalla-superkondensaattoreita-iot-laitteisiin
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8477-pelkalla-wifi-signaaleilla-laskettiin-henkilot-seinan-lapi
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/09/26/sahkoyhtio-otti-sigfoxin-iot-ratkaisuksi/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Choosing the Right Wireless Protocol for Your IoT Application
https://www.electronicdesign.com/industrial-automation/choosing-right-wireless-protocol-your-iot-application?NL=ED-005&Issue=ED-005_20180926_ED-005_349&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=20197&utm_medium=email&elq2=10689577743a40d1adf1f8c23a6edc5f
As the Internet of Things continues to rapidly expand, more and more entrepreneurs and developers are working to create new IoT applications and take advantage of the booming industry.
For developers and engineers, one of the first and most important questions when creating a new IoT application is the choice of wireless protocol. With a broad range of options to choose from, developers must consider the requirements of their application with regard to range, cost, security, and energy consumption.
Wi-Fi is undoubtedly the most popular wireless protocol
While suitable for many smart-home applications, Wi-Fi’s high data rate is matched by high power consumption, making it a poor fit for battery low-power IoT applications.
Designed for short-range applications, Bluetooth Low Energy is a popular low-cost wireless protocol for many consumer products and smart-building applications.
The newest BLE 5.0 protocol offers a range of up to 400 meters
Popular in industrial applications, Zigbee is based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard
Zigbee delivers a suitable solution for device-to-device networks.
Zigbee is effective only for close-proximity local networks
Protected by 128-bit AES encryption keys
LoRaWAN, one of many low-power wide-area-network (LPWAN) protocols, is designed for large-scale public networks. Offering a range of up to 15 km, LoRaWAN is capable of supporting millions of devices on a single network through its low data rate and low power consumption. LoRaWAN works on the ISM sub-giga band
The protocol’s low-cost connectivity is secured by 128-bit AES CCM encryption
Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) is an LPWAN protocol that connects devices over a broad area. However, NB-IoT is designed specifically for cellular M2M communications infrastructures, and a SIM card is necessary to communicate through the protocol.
NB-IoT is widely used in China and offers a viable option in rural settings due to its extended range.
When compared with LoRaWAN, NB-IoT uses higher bandwidth and power consumption.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Open systems and IIoT, working in tandem
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/open-systems-and-iiot-working-in-tandem/be7ac37fd034c2368fb317fe0f7425ee.html?OCVALIDATE=
Additional productivity gain through further systems integration is being limited by an installed base of proprietary technologies supplied by automation and information technology suppliers.
At considerable expense and tremendous toil, over the last 40 years, U.S. production assets were equipped for automated process control and information management. It’s worked out well. Yet what’s limiting additional productivity gain through further systems integration is this very same installed base of proprietary technologies supplied by automation and information technology suppliers. As these suppliers and their industrial clients seek further advances, they must bear in mind this installed base. “We live in a brownfield world,”
As Peter Martin, a Schneider Electric vice president, recently pointed out, the distributed control system (DCS) is increasingly modularized and software-centric. Yet for suppliers to agree on standards and specifications to ease systems interoperability and integration is difficult. Exhibit one is the Fieldbus standard.
Open systems redux
The open systems movement, beginning in the 1990s, promised interoperability on a grand scale. However, at first there were too many questions about open systems for them to find acceptance in industry, especially as it pertains to rigorous real-time control.
In the 21st century, however, more and more suppliers are making available the source code for their products. Independent governing bodies help insure integrity of open source efforts and defined development processes. Java EE, originally from Sun Microsystems and taken over by Oracle Corp. is now the Eclipse Foundation’s Jakarta EE, for example.
The Eclipse Foundation as a global community of individuals and organizations hosts a large community of active open source projects.
It’s gotten to the point where “open source software has become a dominant provider of critical infrastructure technology for the general software industry. The open model of development and royalty-free distribution has proven to be an effective way to build production quality software,” according to a 2017 Eclipse Foundation white paper.
IIoT unwrapped
In production industries, open systems have a special role in the on-going evolution by which proprietary operations technologies are being replaced by commercial information technologies. Already, by means of IIoT, process data is being shared by going around control systems.
“The DCS is the most expensive data route. Why push data through a proprietary technology?” said Don Bartusiek of Exxon Mobil. In emerging practice, for brownfield implementations, an IoT gateway is often introduced to aggregate the data from PLCs and deliver it to information technology systems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Four reasons why LTE networks are not IIoT-ready
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/four-reasons-why-lte-networks-are-not-iiot-ready/8144b279ac7ec030d1206ce4376c2bc1.html?OCVALIDATE=
As well as four reasons why kinetic mesh is a better broadband solution for the manufacturing industry.
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) melds enterprise information technology (IT) with operations technology (OT). It gives manufacturers the ability to deliver real-time operational intelligence to the right operator, in the right place, and at the right time. It signals a shift from reactive to predictive response for machine optimization. It is an opportunity to increase revenues with data-driven operational performance optimization and new service offerings.
Reasons LTE is not ready
LTE networks have advantages for some use cases, including consumer-grade wireless connectivity, but they simply are not capable of supporting IIoT initiatives. Here are four reasons why.
No. 1: LTE has bandwidth/speed challenges
In LTE, different nodes perform different functions. Infrastructure nodes act as access points, while mobile nodes only can pass data to infrastructure nodes.
LTE clients cannot pass data directly to or communicate directly with another LTE client device without first talking to infrastructure (a cell site), then to a switch, and back again.
LTE networks are designed with large infrastructure to maximize coverage. The towers are tall, but there are fewer of them spread across an area, which creates coverage challenges for these networks. We’ve all experienced weaker signals on cell phones when driving down the backside of a hill, under a freeway overpass, or inside certain buildings.
This makes LTE sufficient for delay-tolerant apps like smart metering, but it lacks the agility to support real-time IIoT platforms like machine-to-machine communications (M2M) or autonomy.
No. 2: LTE networks are inflexible
LTE infrastructure does not adapt well to rapid increases in client density. A cell site has a fixed number of connections it can support, making it easy to overload the infrastructure connection capacity. LTE infrastructure also have elaborate, static configurations that are not adaptable.
No. 3: LTE networks lack reliability
A network that relies on infrastructure nodes creates points of failure. If an infrastructure node goes down, its mobile clients cannot access the network. Additionally, infrastructure and mobile nodes access only their respective dedicated frequencies, and loss of line-of-sight can create connectivity challenges. There is no real way around signal blockage or interference. Manufacturers are left with two choices: incur downtime or invest in a second network as a backup plan. Both come at high cost, and neither is ideal.
The stakes are high when mission-critical IIoT applications go down. The rugged nature of industrial operations, combined with the need for 100% uptime, makes LTE a gamble without having ruggedized equipment. When a network is seen as requiring a back-up from the get-go, it’s a red flag when it comes to ensuring IIoT connectivity. A network should be “one and done.”
No. 4: LTE is prohibitively expensive to scale.
Expanding LTE networks requires installing large, expensive new towers. Additionally, LTE networks have static configurations and only support a limited number of simultaneous connections.
This expense creates issues for industrial companies hoping to use an LTE network as the broadband layer of their IIoT infrastructure. IIoT embodies an explosion of machine devices and applications at volumes that cellular networks are not equipped to handle. The number of connected “things” in the industrial operating environment will continue to grow, and IIoT applications like machine-to-machine (M2M) will involve a huge number of devices that generate sporadic transmissions of short packets. LTE would struggle under the weight of the signaling traffic M2M will generate.
A better option for IIoT
A network type called kinetic mesh can overcome the IIoT challenges that LTE can’t. With kinetic mesh, nodes continuously and instantaneously route data through the best available traffic path and frequency.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Design a wireless IIoT gateway with open-source tools
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/design-a-wireless-iiot-gateway-with-open-source-tools/ed524160bdc7942a3af1ce356126a7b4.html?OCVALIDATE=
Wireless: Software-defined radio (SDR) hardware and open-source programming software provides an alternative to proprietary wireless communications systems, helping improve Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) networks.
Despite many discussions about how the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) will change factory automation, no unifying technology exists to connect various “things” together, which results in incompatibility among systems. Connections among disparate industrial wireless standards can be made with open-source software-defined radio (SDR) technologies.
Compatibility issues can be best illustrated by looking at IIoT, an application subset where pervasive connectivity offers significant benefits. A leading communications equipment vendor estimated over 90% of industrial machinery is not currently connected to any network.
The advantages of connected machinery are diminished unless data communications from the whole facility can be collected, analyzed, and shared between multiple data sources. This might be easier for a greenfield site where the installation of new machinery supporting open standards can be planned with this objective, Most industrial complexes, however, have an array of legacy equipment that needs retrofitting to become connected.
Incompatible wireless standards
The primary barrier to greater interconnectivity is the likelihood that multiple vendors supply machinery on most sites. Each vendor is likely to have a different approach to adopting IIoT, which includes wireless for maximum flexibility, but without interoperability among standards among wireless links and protocols. These include Wi-Fi, NB-IoT (also called Cat-NB1), LTE MTC Cat M1, Long Range (LoRa), Sigfox, Ingenu, WirelessHART, Weightless, 2G in the form of Extended coverage GSM IoT (EC-GSM-IoT), 3G, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and ZigBee.
Each technology has advantages and limits and the use case may dictate the selection. Low Power Wide Area Networking (LPWAN) schemes, such as LoRa, NB-IoT, and Sigfox, are better suited to longer range links with low data rates, while radio access via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are very popular, but the range is limited. A new Wi-Fi variant called HaLow is being added to the mix. It uses IP packets and lower frequencies that give greater range and penetration.
Multiple players to compete for IIoT business with incompatible systems, a drawback for any factory information technology (IT) department seeking to move to Industrie 4.0, as it might require multiple hubs and gateways to collect and collate data for analysis.
Radio access technologies
Figure 2: Lime Microsystems’ LimeSDR software-defined radio (SDR) board, which is compact, programmable, open-source, full duplex, and can be configured by downloading code from an app store. Courtesy: High Tech Marketing, Lime MicrosystemsAn SDR can support a vast range of wireless technologies, is compact, programmable, open source, full duplex, and “app-enabled,” meaning it can be configured after downloading code from an app store. Such a radio requires a means to communicate and a controller, such as a dual transceiver field programmable radio frequency (FPRF) device and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chip.
A processor running Linux can be enabled with open source apps from the SoapySDR project, which can be used “as is” or modified to provide the exact requirements.
Open-source Ubuntu-based apps are available for GSM and LoRa, with an active eco-system working on a raft of new applications. Hardware designers can use the Intel FPGA on the board to encode and decode the data for the various wireless standards; open-source software is becoming available. The FPGA also could be used to encrypt the data to avoid transmitting “in the clear.”
https://github.com/pothosware/SoapySDR/wiki
Tomi Engdahl says:
IIoT’s impact on the oil and gas industry
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/iiots-impact-on-the-oil-and-gas-industry/24ba92029a328f7d2b6e02f557aaf4b0.html?OCVALIDATE=
Oil & gas companies are looking to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to improve efficiency and productivity as the market slowly recovers.
The recent drop in oil prices resulted in some companies going through the traditional route of cost-cutting measures such as layoffs and capital expenditure (CapEx) reductions
The potential benefits of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications are being leveraged to create new value in information about elements of their business that manage existing assets for increased reliability, optimization, supply chains, and customer relationships. The IIoT solutions allow integration of sensing, communications, and analytics capabilities being developed. With the increase in computing devices, low-cost sensors, analytic tools, and economic data storage options, the oil & gas industry can capture more data in real-time to improve performance in the plant and the field.
There are several catalysts driving and enabling this shift to information-based value creation. Five in particular are:
Companies predicting the future with data.
Volumes of data spurring collaboration between operations, business, and information technology (IT).
Recognizing the value of data scientists.
Cautious and secure strategies towards the cloud and edge devices that address risk management.
A plan to successfully manage the transition for recreating processes and system architectures.
Corporate executives must link IIoT deployments with specific business strategies. Advances in instrumentation, process automation, and collaboration have proliferated the volume of data from sensors, weather, seismic and geolocation that needs to be harnessed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Manufacturing 4.0: Just add people
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/manufacturing-40-just-add-people/40468bd5f322e05da2fff4b78f9c2494.html?OCVALIDATE=
Adding human intellect to technology produces greater results and ingenuity is central to manufacturing, increasing efficiency, inspiring a new generation of skilled workers, and creating bottom line profitability.
Current advances in manufacturing have been branded as Industrie 4.0, an idea that accurately describes the rise of automation, robotics, and smart technology but omits the role of human workers. Manufacturing 4.0, in contrast, is a new dynamic era where unlocking and multiplying human ingenuity is central to manufacturing, increasing efficiency, inspiring a new generation of skilled workers, and creating bottom line profitability.
Manufacturing in the United States is evolving. Digitalization, improved monitoring and sensors, and faster computing and data networks have created a new, smart factory environment. This evolution has been described as Industrie 4.0, the merger of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, automation, and other smart factory technologies.
The problem with the current definition of Industrie 4.0 is that it ignores or discards the role of human knowledge and creativity. It is a weak argument that more data alone is enough to evolve manufacturing, or that robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) can analyze and solve complex issues the way a human can.
Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, tweeted on April 13, 2018, in response to production issues, “Yes, excessive automation at Tesla was a mistake. To be precise, my mistake. Humans are underrated.”
Factory employees aren’t going anywhere soon.
Integrating computers and humans
Manufacturing 4.0 integrates systemized equipment with the greatest computer on the planet: the human mind. This is fundamentally different from Industrie 4.0, which focuses on IoT, sensors, robotics, and AI. It adds line operators, technicians, and other plant floor workers back into the equation, capturing human motivation and ideation across the plant floor.
There is a tendency for manufacturers to put sensors everywhere on the plant floor. The sensors can identify the problems, but the problems can’t be diagnosed or interpreted. When technology and production processes break, a person must respond, identify the problem’s root cause, and fix it or devise a workaround.
The average factory has a mix of disparate systems, which can make the input and accessibility of data difficult as well.
That delays abnormality problem solving, which is counter to Manufacturing 4.0. By harnessing IoT and presenting data to people in an actionable way (e.g., visualized), manufacturing takes advantage of new developments in computing, resulting in improved efficiency, better accuracy, predictive analytics, and more profitability.
A common plant floor standard
A common plant floor standard is the goal of most manufacturers and, has been nearly impossible to achieve without significant cost and risk. A Lean Execution System (LES) provides a feasible way to attain it because it ties together existing disparate systems.There’s no need to rip and replace systems.
An LES allows employees, regardless of their roles, a single system to input, communicate, and extract data, which in turn helps Manufacturing 4.0 (Figure 2). When production lines and plants are working with one system, ambiguity of data is removed and accuracy is enhanced.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Renesas to Pitch Baby-step AI for Factories
AI goes inside Renesas MCUs, Dynamically Reconfigurable Processors
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1333788
Every company that has pledged its faith to “smart manufacturing” is pledging its hopes for AI.
This brave new world requires a big investment in high-cost AI systems, along with the cost of setting up a “learning” platform and contacting cloud service providers. The grand plan starts with big data collection so that the machine can learn and figure out something previously unknown.
That’s the theory.
In the real world, however, many companies are finding AI hard to implement. Some blame their inexperience in AI, or a shortage of in-house data scientists cable of making the most of AI. Others complain that they have not been able to establish the proof of concept of their installed AI systems. In any case, manufacturers are beginning to realize that AI is not an “if you build it, they will come” deal.
Enter Renesas Electronics.
The Japanese chip company claims a leading position in the global factory automation market. It is proposing “real-time continuous AI” for the world of operational technology (OT). This approach contrasts sharply with “statistical AI,” often pitched by big data companies to promote automation in the world of information technology (IT).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fragmentation, Security Remain Concerns for IoT
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1333751
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sensors prevent smart-meter tampering
https://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4461041/Sensors-prevent-smart-meter-tampering?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=link&utm_medium=EDNConsumerElectronics-20180926
Based on a magnetometer, the IIS2MDC and ISM303DAC from STMicroelectronics enable both tamper detection for smart meters and motion sensing.The anisotropic magneto-resistive magnetometer used in each device has a dynamic range of ±50 gauss. In addition, the IIS2MDC and ISM303DAC provide an embedded temperature sensor and a 16-bit digital output via a built-in I2C/SPI serial interface.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Industrial Robotics Are Expanding Across Multiple Sectors
https://www.designnews.com/automation-motion-control/industrial-robotics-are-expanding-across-multiple-sectors/54664136559474?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=5774&elq_cid=876648
Advances in software development techniques and networking technologies have made the installing and assembling of robots faster and less costly.
Robotics has progressed from a world of building blocks and moved to real-world computing. Robots are getting progressively integrated into several types of production lines, which is driving industrial robotics market growth. According to Grand View Research, the industrial robotics market is expected to reach $41.20 billion by 2025. The rising awareness of the benefits of industrial robots—which include cost effectiveness, quality assurance, optimized production efficiency, and safe working conditions in hazardous environments—offers positive opportunities for market growth.
AI + ML + Industrial Robotics
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities have gradually made their way into industrial robotics technology, leading to the adoption of collaborative robots or co-bots in various application areas. Co-bots enable direct interaction with a human within a defined collaborative workspace.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The long list of new Alexa devices Amazon announced at its hardware event
For the record, there was no Alexa Kitchen Sink
https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/20/the-long-list-of-new-alexa-devices-amazon-announced-at-its-hardware-event/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Tomi Engdahl says:
Adi Robertson / The Verge:
California Governor has signed a bill that would require “reasonable security” for all new IoT devices, making California the first state with an IoT law
California just became the first state with an Internet of Things cybersecurity law
https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/28/17874768/california-iot-smart-device-cybersecurity-bill-sb-327-signed-law
California Governor Jerry Brown has signed a cybersecurity law covering “smart” devices, making California the first state with such a law. The bill, SB-327, was introduced last year and passed the state senate in late August.
Starting on January 1st, 2020, any manufacturer of a device that connects “directly or indirectly” to the internet must equip it with “reasonable” security features, designed to prevent unauthorized access, modification, or information disclosure. If it can be accessed outside a local area network with a password, it needs to either come with a unique password for each device, or force users to set their own password the first time they connect. That means no more generic default credentials for a hacker to guess.
The bill has been praised as a good first step by some and criticized by others for its vagueness. Cybersecurity expert Robert Graham has been one of its harshest critics. He’s argued that it gets security issues backwards by focusing on adding “good” features instead of removing bad ones that open devices up to attacks.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Michael Sheetz / CNBC:
Satellite communications company Iridium partners with AWS to develop CloudConnect, a satellite-based network for IoT applications, expected to launch in 2019
Satellite company partners with Bezos’ AWS to bring internet connectivity to the ‘whole planet’
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/27/amazon-partners-with-iridium-for-aws-cloud-services-via-satellite.html
Iridium is partnering with AWS to develop a satellite-based network called CloudConnect for Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
“Now that Amazon has put our language into the cloud platform, they can extend their applications to the satellite realm,” Iridium CEO Matt Desch told CNBC.
The CloudConnect network will focus on “where cellular technologies aren’t,” Desch said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Michael Sheetz / CNBC:
Satellite communications company Iridium partners with AWS to develop CloudConnect, a satellite-based network for IoT applications, expected to launch in 2019
Satellite company partners with Bezos’ AWS to bring internet connectivity to the ‘whole planet’
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/27/amazon-partners-with-iridium-for-aws-cloud-services-via-satellite.html
Iridium is partnering with AWS to develop a satellite-based network called CloudConnect for Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
“Now that Amazon has put our language into the cloud platform, they can extend their applications to the satellite realm,” Iridium CEO Matt Desch told CNBC.
The CloudConnect network will focus on “where cellular technologies aren’t,” Desch said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nielsen:
Nielsen: in Q2 2018, 24% of US homes owned a smart speaker, and the most common use, by nearly 90% of users, is to listen to music, while 68% listen to news
(Smart) Speaking My Language: Despite Their Vast Capabilities, Smart Speakers Are All About the Music
https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2018/smart-speaking-my-language-despite-their-vast-capabilities-smart-speakers-all-about-the-music.html
Over the last couple of decades, technology has not only evolved at a rapid pace, but has been adopted by swaths of consumers across the U.S. This boon of innovation hasn’t just opened multiple avenues for consumers to engage with content and develop new, unique media habits—it’s also given marketers and brands another tool in their toolkit to reach these consumers. But while these emerging devices introduce new capabilities that bring visions of a future society, most consumers are demonstrating through their behavior that the tried and true is still fundamental to the experience. In the case of smart speaker users, simply finding the time to hear more audio (whether music, news or information) tops the list of weekly habits.
smart speakers (e.g., Amazon Echo or Google Home) are a burgeoning interactive technology that offer consumers useful, cutting-edge capabilities. Of the U.S. homes that have a smart speaker, four out of 10 have more than one device in the household. Furthermore, 62% of smart speaker owners first started using the device within the last six months, with 45% planning to purchase more devices for their home.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Sensor_Interface_protocol
The Simple Sensor Interface (SSI) protocol is a simple communications protocol designed for data transfer between computers or user terminals and smart sensors. The SSI protocol is an Application layer protocol as in the OSI model.
The SSI protocol has been developed jointly by Nokia, Vaisala, Suunto, Ionific, Mermit and University of Oulu. Currently SSI is being developed within the Mimosa Project, part of the European Union Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development.
The SSI protocol is used in point-to-point communications over UART and networking nanoIP applications. SSI also provides polling sensors and streaming sensor data. For RFID sensor tags SSI specifies memory map for sensor data.
An SSI message consists of a 2-byte header and an n-byte payload. The header consists of a one byte address (wildcard is ‘?’, 0x3F in ASCII) and a one byte message/command type. The different possible values for the message/command type are presented in SSI v1.2 command base.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Week in Review: IoT, Security, Auto
https://semiengineering.com/week-in-review-iot-security-auto-12/
IBM this week launched the Watson Decision Platform for Agriculture, which combines artificial intelligence, Internet of Things technology, and cloud-based offerings, providing insights to farmers through a managed service. Among other features, growers can deploy drones to send photos to the IBM Cloud for AI-based trend analysis and detection of crop diseases. The platform can forecast crop yields, keep an eye on commodity prices, and even suggest the best time to harvest.
Speaking of precision agriculture – U.S. Cellular is partnering with Internet of Things America to offer a suite of IoT solutions for business customers and rural communities.
Microsoft held its Ignite conference in Orlando, Florida, this week, introducing IoT updates for the Azure cloud computing platform. Among other announcements, the company said the Azure IoT platform now supports Google’s Android mobile operating system and Android Things platform through its Java software development kit
It also rolled out Azure Digital Twins, enabling enterprises to create digital models of physical environments.
Teaming up to protect IoT devices from cybersecurity threats are AT&T and Ericsson, which together will offer comprehensive testing through the CTIA Cybersecurity Certification Program. The program will address a wide variety of IoT devices, including body cameras, connected streetlights, industrial routers, medical devices, and utility meters.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Announcing Azure Digital Twins: Create digital replicas of spaces and infrastructure using cloud, AI and IoT
https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2018/09/24/announcing-azure-digital-twins-create-digital-replicas-of-spaces-and-infrastructure-using-cloud-ai-and-iot/
For years now, our partners and customers have been using the Azure Internet of Things (IoT) platform to create breakthrough applications for a wide variety of industries. Along this journey, we’ve learned that most digital transformation efforts benefit from context about the physical world. As a result, organizations are showing a growing appetite for solutions that provide a deeper understanding of the sophisticated interactions between people, places, and things.
Enter the concept of the “digital twin”—a virtual representation of a physical environment that brings in data from a variety of sources. Historically, digital twins have been used for industrial equipment (machines, fleets of machines, engines, and the like), but the concept of a digital twin is also broadly applicable to modeling all the ways we live and work in our physical environment. Modeling the complex interactions and high-value intersections between people, places, and things is unlocking new opportunities, creating new efficiencies, and improving public and private spaces.
Azure Digital Twins is a new platform for comprehensive digital models and spatially aware solutions that can be applied to any physical environment.
Tomi Engdahl says:
California IoT Cybersecurity Bill Signed into Law
https://www.securityweek.com/california-iot-cybersecurity-bill-signed-law
California Governor Jerry Brown last week signed the country’s first Internet of Things (IoT) cybersecurity law, along with a controversial state-level net neutrality law.
The IoT cybersecurity law, SB-327, was introduced in February 2017 by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara). SB-327 goes into effect on January 1, 2020, and it requires manufacturers of Internet-connected devices – such as TVs, phones, toys, household appliances and routers – to ensure that their products have “reasonable security features.” These security features should be able to protect sensitive customer information from unauthorized access.
“The lack of basic security features on internet connected devices undermines the privacy and security of California’s consumers, and allows hackers to turn everyday consumer electronics against us,” said Sen. Jackson. “SB 327 ensures that technology serves the people of California, and that security is not an afterthought but rather a key component of the design process.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Practical Bluetooth Low Energy and Sub-GHz Integration Approaches
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1333812
The adoption of Bluetooth technology in mesh and point-to-point networks shows no sign of fatigue. Meanwhile, sub-GHz radios continue to proliferate, particularly in smart home, commercial and industrial applications. In this article, we present practical multiband integration approaches for Bluetooth and sub-GHz technologies.
The Proliferation of Sub-GHz Devices
Wireless technologies functioning at frequencies below 1 GHz (sub-GHz) have been trending in popularity with the emergence of Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) and Wi-Fi standards such as HaLow (IEEE 802.11ah) and White-Fi (IEEE 802.11af). This trend comes from the inherent ability for signals to travel greater distances (> 1 km) with better object penetration and immunity to interference. This wider coverage range has broad implications in IoT for smart city, building and home automation, smart farming and industrial IoT (IIoT).
According to ON World, LPWAN services are set to reach $75 billion by 2025, serving more than 30 different applications in a broad range of market segments globally. And with more than 3 billion anticipated connected devices by 2021, it is no surprise the sub-GHz market is booming.
While the number of IoT devices using the sub-GHz spectrum is growing, there is still a considerable barrier to the progress of these technologies―the lack of compatibility with existing devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops. Typically, sub-GHz IoT networks operate in a star topology where sensor nodes initiate transmissions with a gateway or base station that is often hardwired
Therefore, the only way to remotely control an end device or a gateway is often through a remote web-based app or Cli (Command-line interface) terminal that connects to a local Wi-Fi or cellular network.
Benefits of a Multiprotocol (Bluetooth + Sub-GHz) Platform
For most LPWAN networks including LoRa, Sigfox, and NB-IoT, an additional radio is required to communicate with existing user equipment (e.g.: smartphone, tablet, etc.). Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) offers a platform where the device setup, operation and maintenancecan be performed locally with a smartphone or tablet. Moreover, firmware over-the-air (OTA) updates can be performed much more rapidly with a higher throughput Bluetooth LE 5 connection (~2 Mbps) than LPWAN narrowband (NB) or ultra-narrowband (UNB), which only supports modulation schemes from 1 kbps to 100 kbps.
Applications for Bluetooth Beacons and Sub-GHz
Bluetooth beacons recently have become the leading proximity sensing technology and accounted for nearly 80 percent of the proximity sensors deployed globally in 2015. Bluetooth beacon shipments are expected to surpass 400 million units by 2020. This exponential growth rate can be attributed to a wide array applications, including:
Indoor navigation
Contactless payment
Proximity marketing
Automatic check-in
Real-time location systems (RTLS)
Asset tracking
Bluetooth LE beacons can be applied in medium-accuracy short-range/indoor (3-5 m) location services where a smartphone can detect the proximity to a beacon and know the general location (room/department) of the signal’s source. This can be in the form of either sending promotions (e.g., coupons, sales, etc.)
How Bluetooth LE and Sub-GHz Can Coexist on One Chip
Integration of multiple radio modules in one chip is possible through the slotting of transmissions. Most sub-GHz systems are able to save on battery life due to their narrowband modulation schemes as well as the infrequent nature of transmissions from the sensor nodes; this enables end devices to operate in a low current consumption states – receive, idle and sleep. While sub-GHz end devices such as smart meters or smart lights are operating in receive mode, other devices supporting Bluetooth LE such as smartphones or tablets can transmit to the sub-GHz devices. This built-in intelligent scheduling mechanism allows Bluetooth and sub-GHz protocols to be leveraged on the same chip.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/10/03/telia-tuo-nb-iot-yhteydet-sahkomittareihin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Implementing BLE Security in IoT Applications
https://www.electronicdesign.com/industrial-automation/implementing-ble-security-iot-applications?NL=ED-005&Issue=ED-005_20181003_ED-005_299&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=20364&utm_medium=email&elq2=4fbf5f29b94444919a5231ca33309f9b
Protect IoT applications against passive eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks, and hide your device’s identity from unauthorized devices, while minimizing power consumption.
Mechanism to hide device’s identity from unauthorized devices: Identity protection is essential to safeguard users from someone tracking their physical location. Without sufficient protection, IoT devices put users at risk of a privacy breach and possible physical or financial threat. It’s similar to someone following you based on your car’s registration number.
Protection against passive eavesdropping: Passive eavesdropping is the process of listening to private communications between two devices. A passive eavesdropper quietly listens to communications and doesn’t alter the data.
Protection against man-in-the-middle attacks: Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks are the most serious among all security threats. In this case, a third device called the MITM attacker not only listens to the private communication between two devices, but can mimic either device and alter the data.
Hiding Device Identity from Unauthorized Devices
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices use a 48-bit address. If this address can be decoded by another device, that device can track the presence of the device. BLE makes it difficult for an un-trusted device to track by address by frequently changing the address. This is done using an Identity Resolving Key (IRK) that’s available only to trusted devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wireless Controls Keep Expanding the Smart Home’s Boundaries
https://www.electronicdesign.com/industrial-automation/wireless-controls-keep-expanding-smart-home-s-boundaries?NL=ED-005&Issue=ED-005_20181003_ED-005_299&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=20364&utm_medium=email&elq2=4fbf5f29b94444919a5231ca33309f9b
Sponsored by Texas Instruments: As the intelligence quotient of homes pushes higher, demand soars for related products. To keep pace, designers need low-cost simple solutions for their designs, such as MCU/radio combo chips.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Industrial Robotics Are Expanding Across Multiple Sectors
https://www.designnews.com/automation-motion-control/industrial-robotics-are-expanding-across-multiple-sectors/54664136559474?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=5733&elq_cid=876648
Advances in software development techniques and networking technologies have made the installing and assembling of robots faster and less costly.
Robotics has progressed from a world of building blocks and moved to real-world computing. Robots are getting progressively integrated into several types of production lines, which is driving industrial robotics market growth. According to Grand View Research, the industrial robotics market is expected to reach $41.20 billion by 2025. The rising awareness of the benefits of industrial robots—which include cost effectiveness, quality assurance, optimized production efficiency, and safe working conditions in hazardous environments—offers positive opportunities for market growth.
AI + ML + Industrial Robotics
Tomi Engdahl says:
How much control goes to the cloud?
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/how-much-control-goes-to-the-cloud/41585c7f36c6369fc21e84cbbe7123b6.html?OCVALIDATE=
Cloud computing is gaining ground as industrial plants become more efficient, but it’s important to recognize where computing is needed and where it should be taking place.
Many process engineers would be happy to apply the mantra “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” principle to their systems, meaning, “What happens in operations stays in operations.” To process engineers, all automation, control, and instrumentation applications should stay in the plant. It’s more reliable and secure that way. And that’s the way it was―until a few years ago. A shift is taking place.
In a drive for efficiency and having a competitive advantage, companies are turning to cloud computing as a way to gather production data, crunch the numbers, and feed selected results to management, to analysts, to suppliers, to vendors, and in some cases, back to the plant. Call it the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Industrie 4.0, or enhanced supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), but the digital transformation of industrial production is well underway.
Because this radically departs from the way things have been for decades, many questions arise like: What about security? Are the connections reliable? Isn’t this just what we’ve always been doing, with a new name?
As companies move beyond the pilot stage and begin to implement full-scale IIoT and Industrie 4.0 systems, another question often coming up is: How much control goes to the cloud? Or, how much data processing should be done in the cloud?
Cloud computing for industrial systems
Some cloud-computing proponents assert that the more computing that can be done in the cloud, the better. However, that approach does consider the realities of industrial control systems (ICSs). It would be foolhardy to attempt low-level or time-sensitive control from the cloud, as well as most types of supervisory control. The security, latency, and reliability of an internet connection can’t match an in-plant network. Also, the volume and rate of data pouring in from a typical industrial system would consume enormous amounts of cloud resources, resulting in a much higher cost.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cloud-based software solutions for industrial applications
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/cloud-based-software-solutions-for-industrial-applications/a8bdee0e835f3aea8d88cd1fdf9c08f1.html?OCVALIDATE=
Cover Story: Choosing cloud-based software or a combined approach with an on-site strategy may result in cost savings, improved operational efficiencies, and enhanced security.
A growing number of technology suppliers are offering cloud-based software for automation, control, and instrumentation applications. It remains the responsibility of end users to decide where automation software should reside. Should they “own” the software in a traditional sense, or does software-as-a-service (SaaS) or platform-as-a-service (PaaS) make more sense for particular applications?
Automation systems are now asked to do more in an environment where flexibility and agility in plant operations are critical. Industrie 4.0 is driving demand for “intelligent” production. Its focus is smart objects, autonomous products, and improved decision-making processes using new technologies from the information technology (IT) domain
With the rise of connectivity in the industrial enterprise, it is essential to avoid situations where a company’s intellectual property (IP) and critical infrastructure could be made public. The nature of modern control platforms, and facilities themselves, adds to this concern. The industrial automation sector introduced Modbus in 1979 and Ethernet by the early 1990s. These standards simplified communications, but opened the door to potential bad behavior.
Industrial manufacturers have been slow in adopting robust security due to the requirements for reliability, stability, longevity, and tight budgets. Many industrial control systems (ICSs) run for 30 or more years with minimal changes to hardware or software. The use of Ethernet, in various mediums, for plant networks have the potential to expose automation systems in any location—whether in the cloud or on-site—to unauthorized access. (On-site architectures also are frequently called on premises or on prem for short.)
Significant benefits associated with cloud computing include:
The availability of a standardized development and test/simulation environments cuts costs for setting up and configuring the infrastructure.
The flexible use of distributed engineering resources permits multi-project and multi-user configuration, independent of location.
The freedom to focus on core competencies in running the assets while reducing on-site physical footprint, hardware, software and maintenance.
Expertise available for keeping the system up to date, and applying the right cybersecurity solutions to keep it safe and protect intellectual property.
A demand-oriented pricing model reduces investment costs to the actual use.
A growing number of manufacturers are tapping the potential of cloud computing—including SaaS and PaaS—for design and operation of industrial control systems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/09/25/microsoft-ignite2018-digitaaliset-kaksoset-ja-mikro-ohjainturvaa/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Use process analytics effectively
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/use-process-analytics-effectively/15c18e2996f259fe47f1a9e70b8797ed.html?OCVALIDATE=
Pattern recognition software leverages historian data to automate information gathering and make process analytics more efficient and accurate.
While many process analytics solutions are available, these historian-based software tools often require a great deal of interpretation and manipulation. They are less than automated. They unearth past trends or export raw data to Microsoft Excel. Tools to visualize and interpret process data are typically trending applications, reports, and dashboards. Helpful, perhaps, but not particularly good at predicting outcomes.
Predictive analytics, a relatively new dimension to analytics tools, delivers insights about future performance, based on historical data, both structured and unstructured. Many predictive analytics tools begin with an enterprise approach and require more sophisticated distributed computing platforms such as Hadoop or SAP Hana.
While powerful, this is a more complex approach to managing both plant and enterprise data. Companies using an enterprise data management approach must often employ specialized data scientists to help organize and clean the data. Moreover, data scientists likely won’t be familiar with the process of generating the data, which limits their ability to achieve the best results.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Manufacturing 4.0: Just add people
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/manufacturing-40-just-add-people/40468bd5f322e05da2fff4b78f9c2494.html?OCVALIDATE=
Adding human intellect to technology produces greater results and ingenuity is central to manufacturing, increasing efficiency, inspiring a new generation of skilled workers, and creating bottom line profitability.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Open systems and IIoT, working in tandem
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/open-systems-and-iiot-working-in-tandem/be7ac37fd034c2368fb317fe0f7425ee.html?OCVALIDATE=
Additional productivity gain through further systems integration is being limited by an installed base of proprietary technologies supplied by automation and information technology suppliers.
At considerable expense and tremendous toil, over the last 40 years, U.S. production assets were equipped for automated process control and information management. It’s worked out well.
As technology advance continues, what constitutes a competitive advantage for these suppliers tends to shift. Distributed control systems (DCS) no longer entail custom chip sets, for example.
As Peter Martin, a Schneider Electric vice president, recently pointed out, the distributed control system (DCS) is increasingly modularized and software-centric. Yet for suppliers to agree on standards and specifications to ease systems interoperability and integration is difficult.
Open systems redux
The open systems movement, beginning in the 1990s, promised interoperability on a grand scale. However, at first there were too many questions about open systems for them to find acceptance in industry, especially as it pertains to rigorous real-time control.
In the 21st century, however, more and more suppliers are making available the source code for their products. Independent governing bodies help insure integrity of open source efforts and defined development processes. Java EE, originally from Sun Microsystems and taken over by Oracle Corp. is now the Eclipse Foundation’s Jakarta EE, for example.
The Eclipse Foundation as a global community of individuals and organizations hosts a large community of active open source projects.
It’s gotten to the point where “open source software has become a dominant provider of critical infrastructure technology for the general software industry. The open model of development and royalty-free distribution has proven to be an effective way to build production quality software,” according to a 2017 Eclipse Foundation white paper.
IIoT unwrapped
In production industries, open systems have a special role in the on-going evolution by which proprietary operations technologies are being replaced by commercial information technologies. Already, by means of IIoT, process data is being shared by going around control systems.
“The DCS is the most expensive data route. Why push data through a proprietary technology?” said Don Bartusiek of Exxon Mobil. In emerging practice, for brownfield implementations, an IoT gateway is often introduced to aggregate the data from PLCs and deliver it to information technology systems.
Bartusiek also works with The Open Group, a consortium that promotes “the achievement of business objectives through technology standards.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
A network on wheels
To create plant mobility, take a new approach with portable cell towers.
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/a-network-on-wheels/c8f068106e81d73e268a514d956e16e7.html?OCVALIDATE=
With the number of connected devices, sensors, and “smart” technologies on the rise, plant managers are in a unique position to modernize their working environments and gain a number of never-before accessible skills, including real-time visibility into the status of people, equipment, and operations of their organizations.
However, to support this new toolbox of skills and technologies, plants find themselves faced with another dilemma: the need for a robust, reliable, and mobile network that can keep up with these demands 24/7.
According to the 5G Infrastructure Public Private Partnership (5G PPP), a factory of the future must support five use case examples that represent a different subset of rigorous requirements along supply chain and manufacturing networks:
1. Time-critical process optimization inside a factory. This will support zero-defect manufacturing, increased efficiencies and worker satisfaction and safety. This use case requires extremely low network latency, as well as the integration of sensor technologies like 3-D scanning, adoption of wearables, and collaborative robots in closed-loop control systems.
2. Non-time-critical optimizations inside factory. This will increase flexibility and sustainability within a factory as well as allow a plant to manage stock more effectively. Because of rugged industrial environments and large pieces of equipment that create line-of-sight issues, indoor coverage and high availability are key requirements here.
3. Remote maintenance and control, which will optimize the cost of operation while increasing uptime. This use case integrates 3-D virtual reality, requiring a network with bandwidth to facilitate video-supported remote maintenance from anywhere in the world.
4. Seamless intra-/inter-enterprise communication. This will allow the monitoring of assets distributed in larger areas, and improve coordination of cross-value-chain activities and logistics flow optimization. This will require flexible, reliable, and seamless connectivity across different access technologies, as well as the support for mobility.
5. Connected goods, which will allow factories to implement new value-added services supported by real-time data collected during the complete lifetime of a product. This use case requires communications platforms that support autonomy.
Mobility in a plant
Manufacturing plants don’t always have enough existing cell towers (or any towers at all) located within their range, and it can take an enormous effort to have one installed in a new location.
But what if, instead of being statically tied to one site, the cell tower had the ability to get up and drive directly to the place you needed it, moving with ease to rapidly expand coverage to that area across the entire fleet and area of operation?
These cell towers on wheels also could spread as far and wide as a site requires, flexibly augmenting or creating infrastructure ad hoc to provide ubiquitous coverage across a plant – no matter how large or small it is. And as more connected people, devices, and machines join a plant’s operations, new cell towers would simply roll in to provide the increased network support required, as well as work with the nodes already installed on the numerous moving and static assets in a plant.
Wireless mesh networks
Industrial operators can kick-start their organization’s journey to digitization by deploying a kinetic mesh network topology. This type of network allows multiple nodes to connect, broaden and strengthen the network where necessary.
With the nodes essentially acting as compact, durable, transportable, mini cell towers, virtually anything in the organization’s infrastructure can be turned into networking equipment.
Compared with a regular cellular network, which has limited cross communication, a kinetic mesh network can communicate peer-to-peer seamlessly, via numerous instantaneous connections, forming an adaptable, dynamic network that has the ability to provide reliable wide-range communications practically anywhere. Nodes easily can integrate with existing infrastructure to rapidly extend coverage, communicating with and controlling roaming assets anywhere they move across a plant or site.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Technology Market Growing Steadily, But Privacy and Security Concerns Remain Widespread
https://www.cbronline.com/news/iot-technology-survey?utm_campaign=Email%20Newsletter&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=66416888&_hsenc=p2ANqtz–Xnmp6VINxfo241_kjT_rv8IftwNKZZ__5DI3HyfM9t_e-lGHb8-3yoJYYMPHLd4e5N02bEHzOLIq44–JmErl7tTMC8-7XDDnDkj0eo7zu5WwKDg&_hsmi=66416888
The number of smart speakers/home assistants has doubled and seems to be powering ownership of other devices, but the appeal of the smart home in general has stagnated
Ownership of Internet of Things (IoT) smart speakers and home assistants has doubled since last year, with the number of households owning more than three devices up by a quarter since 2017.
According to a new report by TechUK and researchers GfK, over 40 percent of consumers believe that high prices remain a significant barrier to broader smart home technology uptake however, with security and privacy concerns lingering.
Yet ownership of connected home smart devices is on the rise in the UK as household purchases of three or more smart devices grew from 35 percent last year to 44 percent in 2018. While houses with no smart devices dropped from 20 percent to 16 percent.
However, security and privacy issues are major barriers in IoT device uptake.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Mirai Botnet Breed Taps Aboriginal Linux to Spawn Across Devices
https://www.cbronline.com/news/mirai-botnet
When tested scans for more than 500,000 IP addresses and then tries to send raw packet data over port 23
Security researchers at the California-headquartered company Symantec have identified a virulent new strain of the Mirai botnet, which is making use of a popular open source project to embed itself on multiple architectures and devices.
Mirai, which takes over insecure Internet of Things (IoT) devices from routers to baby monitors, became infamous in 2016 after using a sprawling network of compromised devices to cripple domain registration service provider Dyn.
The high profile DDoS attack, which made use of over 500,000 infected devices, took Dyn customers including the BBC, Netflix and Twitter offline for hours.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Consumers Confused with the IoT
https://iotsources.com/services/consumers-confused-with-the-iot/?utm_campaign=Email%20Newsletter&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=66416888&_hsenc=p2ANqtz–Xnmp6VINxfo241_kjT_rv8IftwNKZZ__5DI3HyfM9t_e-lGHb8-3yoJYYMPHLd4e5N02bEHzOLIq44–JmErl7tTMC8-7XDDnDkj0eo7zu5WwKDg&_hsmi=66416888
TOP TAKES is IoT Sources’ filtered content channel, bringing you the most important breaking news and notable events surrounding the Internet of Things. Today’s post originated from: http://www.consumeraffairs.com.
If you aren’t quite sure what “Internet of Things” (IoT) means, you’re in good company.
A poll conducted for Metova, a manufacturer of components for connected cars and devices, found fewer than 20 percent of consumers had a firm grasp of the meaning while nearly 70 percent owned some type of connected device.
An IoT product is one that has an embedded computing device that allows it to send and receive data using the internet.
Knowing which if your devices connects to the internet is important; if you aren’t aware that your thermostat, refrigerator, or garage door is connected to the internet, you’re less likely to take security precautions with it. IoT devices are vulnerable to hackers who can take control of the devices and use them for their own purposes.
In 2016, hackers were able to harness tens of millions of unsecured smart devices like thermostats, home security systems and even printers to launch a massive denial-of-service attack against major websites like Amazon, Netflix, and Twitter. The attack prevented consumers from reaching these sites for several hours.
Tomi Engdahl says:
California Poised to Enact Internet of Things Information Security Law
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/california-poised-to-enact-internet-things-information-security-law?utm_campaign=Email%20Newsletter&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=66416888&_hsenc=p2ANqtz–Xnmp6VINxfo241_kjT_rv8IftwNKZZ__5DI3HyfM9t_e-lGHb8-3yoJYYMPHLd4e5N02bEHzOLIq44–JmErl7tTMC8-7XDDnDkj0eo7zu5WwKDg&_hsmi=66416888
California is once again poised to set the standard for privacy and data security by enacting the first state law directed at securing Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The law has passed the state legislature and is awaiting the signature of Governor Jerry Brown. It requires manufacturers of “connected devices” to equip them with “a reasonable security feature or features” that are:
appropriate to the nature and function of the device;
appropriate to the information the device may collect, contain or transmit; and
designed to protect the device and any information contained in it from unauthorized access, destruction, use, modification, or disclosure.
The law further provides that if a connected device is equipped with a means for authentication outside a local area network, it shall be deemed a “reasonable security feature” if the preprogrammed password is either unique to each device or the device contains a security feature that requires a user to generate a new means of authentication before access is granted to the device for the first time.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Adding AI To The IoT
https://semiengineering.com/adding-ai-to-the-iot/
Putting complex algorithms into billions of things radically changes the landscape.
The Internet of Things is about to undergo a radical change, fueled by vast number of things coupled with an almost pervasive presence of AI.
The IoT today encompasses a long list of vertical markets, all of them connected to the Internet but not necessarily to each other. The concept of the IoT really began taking off in 2015, when a combination of data analytics, high-speed, affordable and almost ubiquitous connectivity, and a variety of both valuable and ridiculous applications became available on a mass scale. For the next several years there was a lot of trial and error in the market to figure out what people would buy, what they actually found useful, and what they would re-purchase after the first generation either became obsolete or stopped working.
Still, this was more evolutionary than revolutionary. While the “Internet of Things” phrase was coined back in 1999 by Kevin Ashton, co-founder of the Auto-ID Center at MIT, the idea of connecting things together can be traced back long before the Internet or ARPANET were developed. Progress in technology often has been about connecting together different developments, and the IoT allows computing to happen everywhere.
The key ingredient to making this really useful, though, is AI (and machine learning and deep learning), and this wasn’t on most people’s radar when the IoT hype cycle began. Unlike early applications of AI, which required enormous computers, sparser machine-generated algorithms now can be embedded into anything with a processor to provide a distribution of acceptable machine behaviors.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon’s revamped Alexa app makes it easier to manage your smart home
https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/05/amazons-revamped-alexa-app-makes-it-easier-to-manage-your-smart-home/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Amazon’s Alexa app has just been given a major visual overhaul, largely focused on helping users set up and control their smart home. From the app’s new devices tab, users can view all their different Alexa-enabled devices and groups on one screen, as opposed to switching between tabs like before.
Amazon itself sells a variety of smart devices, like Cloud Cam, Ring doorbells and Ring cameras. And it just introduced a whole mess of new Alexa-enabled devices at an event in Seattle last month, including everything from wall clocks to subwoofers to Alexa-powered microwaves.